Request by American Embassy Cashier for Relief of Liability

The U.S. Department of State requested that a Class B Cashier in the American Embassy in Belgrade, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, be relieved from liability resulting from advances of $30,493.98 she made for which she has lost accountability. GAO has the statutory authority to relieve officers from liability when GAO concurs with the agency's determination that the loss of funds occurred during the discharge of official duties and was not the result of bad faith or lack of reasonable care by the officer. Department of State officials were confident that most or all of the advances were used for the purposes for which they were given, but hostilities prevented Ms. Pavlovic from actually accounting for many of them through her usual reconciliation procedures. State made the requisite administrative determination that the loss of these records occurred through no fault or negligence on the part of Ms. Pavlovic. Accordingly, the agency's request is granted.